Founded in 2015 by Jamie Smith and Rhiannon Adkins, J Smith Woodwork Ltd has gone from strength to strength and it's not about to slow down any time soon..

Tucked away in the valley that houses Corton Denham and Sandford Orcas is a lazy lane of slothful curves and leafy hedgerows brimming with wild flowers. Down a bumpy track through a yard and into an ancient dairy building, we find Jamie and Rhiannon, a young couple who specialise in making bespoke luxury kitchens, wardrobes and furniture.

Fortunately, ‘work’ to Jamie and Rhiannon is also a joy. Together they set up J Smith Woodwork and have barely paused for breath since it’s launch in August 2015. “To be honest, I am just doing what I love,” says Jamie who, since leaving college with his A Levels 8 years ago, has been honing his craft as a cabinetmaker.

“I grew up in Dorset where my father was a gardener. My love of working with wood came about as I began building things using his off-cuts” Jamie explains. “First it was just ramps in the woods, then friends started asking me to make bits and pieces for them.” Later while watching from the wings as his parents had a new kitchen fitted, Jamie was inspired to pursue carpentry as a career. “I asked the firm if I could do work experience with them. They took me on for six weeks and I stayed for five years”

It doesn’t come as a big surprise to learn that carpentry is in Jamie’s genes as he shows me faded sepia photographs of his great, great grandfather stood outside his own carpenter’s workshop.

Jamie still uses some of his great, great grandfather’s well-worn tools. Handling them they have a balance and weight that is hard to find nowadays.

Jamie and Rhiannon’s decision to go self-employed was not taken lightly. They have invested heavily in making the workshop fit for purpose but are glad to have given the otherwise derelict farm buildings a new lease of life. Filled with that wonderful scent of freshly sawn timber, their workshop is a hub of creativity.

They source all their materials locally so that they can be sure of it provenance. Their preference is to work with Oak, Ash or Walnut. Using time-honoured and trusted techniques, they make sure every kitchen or piece of furniture has a hand-finished quality that will last a lifetime.

Jamie SmithCompany Director

Jamie has already got nearly 10 years experience as a cabinet maker and has a A Level in Design Technology. He trained with a firm for 5 years where his eye for detail and hard work made him a exceptional asset to the team. He is a perfectionist at his craft and prides himself in making pieces that stand the test of time. Jamie has always known that he wanted to run his own business and in 2013 he took the plunge and went self employed. His reputation for being reliable and exceeding the clients expectations provided him with the confidence to create J Smith Woodwork Ltd in 2015.

Rhiannon AdkinsCompany Director

Rhiannon has a natural flare for mixing the right materials to create the perfect space. Learning the art of cabinet making along side Jamie has enabled her to get a better understanding for creating interesting pieces of furniture. Not only does Rhiannon work with Jamie in the workshop, but she is also self taught in CAD which she uses to design 2D sketches for kitchen and furniture projects.